Director of the Bureau of Standards

to the

Secretary of Commerce and Labor

for the

Rscal Year Ended June 30, 1910

Washington

Government Printing Office

1911

Annual Report

of the

Director of the Bureau of Standards

to the

Secretary of Commerce and Labor

for the

Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1910

Washington

Government Printing Office

1911

REPORT

OF THE

DIRECTOR OF THE BUREAU OF STANDARDS.

Department of Commerce and Labor,

' BtjREAu OF Standards,

WasMngton, July 1, 1910.

Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report of the work

of the Bureau of Standards for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1910:

DIVISION I.—ELECTRICITY.

Reference was made a year ago to the international cooperative

investigation on electrical standards which was to be carried on at

this Bureau during the past fiscal year. In accordance with a previous arrangement, one delegate each from the PhysikalischTechnische Reichsanstalt of Germany, the National Physical Laboratory of England, and the Laboratoire Central d'Electricite of

France, came to Washington on April 1, and in cooperation with

representatives of the Bureau of Standards carried out, during the

months of April and May, 1910, a careful series of experiments on the

silver voltameter and a considerable number of measurements on the

standard cells and standards of resistance, comparing the standard

cells and resistance standards which had been brought by the European delegates from their own laboratories with those of the Bureau

of Standards, and with one another, and also comparing the different

types of silver voltameters which have been used in the several

countries. As a result of this investigation an agreement was reached

with respect to the numerical value for the Weston normal cell,

which is to be recommended to the International Committee on

Electrical Units and Standards, and which it is hoped will shortly

be adopted by all the civilized countries of the world. This will secure for the first time international uniformity to a high degree

of precision in the three fundamental electrical units, namely, the

ohm, the volt, and the ampere.

Preparatory to this international investigation, the Bureau carried

on during the nine months preceding April 1 last an extended investigation into the silver voltameter and continued previous work on

the standard cell.

3
4 REPORT OP DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS.

RESISTANCE AND ELECTROMOTIVE FORCE.

The work on the conductivity and temperature coefficient of

copper, undertaken at the request of the American Institute of

Electrical Engineers, has been carried on during the year and is nearly completed and will very shortly be published.

INDUCTANCE AND CAPACITY AND ABSOLUTE MEASUREMENTS.

The work on the absolute measurement of electric current, which

has been in progress for two or three years, is now nearly completed.

This is a very fundamental as well as difficult investigation, and the

importance of the results fully justify the considerable time that has

been expended upon it. An extended investigation into the properties of mica condensers

used as standards of capacity has been completed during the year,

and some work done on the use of relatively high frequency in electrical measurements.

ELECTRICAL MEASURING INSTRUMENTS.

In addition to the regular work of checking electrical instruments

of standard types, the Bureau has made a comparative test of alternating current watthour meters from the leading makers of this

country. This test covered the performance of the meters under

normal conditions, and also under various combinations of abnormal

conditions such as would be liable to occur in practice. The work

was done at the request of the War Department. At the request of

this same department the Bureau has conducted a comparative test

of direct-current switchboard ammeters and voltmeters from eight

American manufacturers. This work is nearly completed. Other

special tests have been made for the general supply committee, other

Government departments, and the public.

The design of two special electrical testing instruments was completed, and the instruments were built for the Bureau and are now in

use. These instruments effect a marked saving of time in the

accurate measurement of electric current, voltage, and power, and

several of them have been purchased from the maker by the public

in advance of a pubhshed description.

A circular on the "Testing of electrical measuring instruments"

was prepared, summarizing the principles of operation of such instruments, sources of error, methods of checking, and other matter of

interest to the user, and was widely distributed among central station

companies.

MAGNETIC MEASUREMENTS.

The magnetic section began the year with well-defined methods

of measurements of magnetic permeability and iron losses which gave

consistent and, it is beheved, accurate results. The permeability
REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS. 5

determinations, however, were not in accord with those obtained

elsewhere. With a view to locating the source of these discrepancies

an intercomparison with several of the large commercial and university laboratories of this country was undertaken. From the data thus

obtained, several common sources of error in commercial instruments

were discovered and the cooperation of the commercial interests has

been secured, looking toward better uniformity in magnetic measurements.

Smaller differences in the permeability determinations were noted

in the work of foreign laboratories. For the purpose of securing

international agreement, a number of standard bars have been prepared and measured, and sent to three national laboratories of Europe

for their investigation. Experiments on the variation of permeability

with changes in room temperature have shown that the temperature

must be defined in precise work. A standard temperature of 25° C.

has been adopted, and the apparatus is kept in an oil bath at this

temperature. As a result of improvements in manipulation, the time

required for a test has been notably reduced.

Investigations have been made on the strength and uniformity of

the magnetic fields of electrical measuring instruments.

PHOTOMETRY.

During the year the Bureau has inspected and tested the incandescent lamps which have been used in all departments of the Government. These lamps, amounting to nearly a million carbon-filament

lamps, besides a considerable number of high-efficiency metal-filament

lamps, are purchased by the departments jointly, thereby securing

lower prices and facilitating the insection and testing of the lamps.

As has been done annually for several years, the standard specifications for incandescent lamps were again revised and repubhshed at

the end of the past fiscal year. These standard specifications are recognized by all manufacturers, and have brought about a uniformity in the manufacture of lamps wliich is very much to the advantage of both makers and users. A considerable amount of work was done during the year in the

preparation of carbon-filament incandescent lamps to be used as photometric standards. This involves, first, the selection and season- ing of the lamps so that they are suitable for standards, and, second,

the determiaation of their candlepower when carrymg a certain

definite current at a particular voltage. The facihties of the Bureau

for photometric work of liighest precision have been somewhat im_

proved, as described in two papers recently prepai'ed for the Bulletin.

The investigation of photometric standards for gas pliotometrj'

has been in progress during the year, a large amount of work having

been done, including many measurements of pentane and Hefner
6 REPORT OF DIEECTOE OF BUEEAU OF STANDARDS.

lamps, and a study of the possibilities of using a kerosene oil lamp as a secondary photometric standard. A study has also been made of

problems involved in the testing of illuminating gas.

STANDARDIZING ELECTRICAL PRACTICE IN MINES.

A little more than a year ago the Bureau was invited by the officers

of the American ]\Iining Congress to assist the congress by taking up

an investigation of the use of electricity in mines, with a view to

standardizing electrical machmes and electrical practice in mines.

This work was carried on for a short time in connection with one of

the committees of the American Mining Congress, and has since been

continued by the Bureau independently, with the assistance, however,

of a large number of mine operators, mine engineers, mine inspectors,

and representatives of the manufacturers of electrical machinery

used in mines. A study was made of the laws regulating the use of

electricity in mines in various foreign countries and of the rules

wliich are in force m this country, although very few States have laws

or rules on this subject. A digest of the existing laws and a proposed

code suitable for enactment into law, which have been prepared as a

result of a year's work on this subject, have been published by the

Bureau and sent to those interested in the subject. Suggestions and

criticisms will be received, and the code of rules revised as further

experience and study may show the necessity for revision.

DIVISION II.—LENGTH MEASUREMENTS.

About 550 length measures of various types have been tested during

the year, of which about 425 were for the National or State Governments. Of these, 390 were steel and invar tapes, and the other items

included a number of level rods, several calipers and meter bars, and

large lathe screws tested for the F'rankfort Arsenal to determine the

accuracy of the machine that was used in making them. Other

length measures tested for the public include several 3'^ard and meter

bars, cement sieves, micrometers, micrometer gauges and calipers,

steel roller balls, and a sectored disk. A larger number of ^je invar

tapes have been tested than heretofore, there having been 34 submitted for determination of their length, coefficient of expansion, or both. Some of these tapes which have been tested on the geodetic

comparator before indicated a large change of length, one of them

having shortened about 2.5 mm. As such changes practically

destroy the usefulness of invar for base measuring purposes, unless

they can be elimmated with certainty by special treatment, it is important that the causes of the changes be investigated.
EEPOET OF DIKECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS. 7

MEASUREMENTS OF MASS.

An interesting feature of the year's work was the testing of the

troy pound of the mint. This weight, for many years the fundamental standard of the United States for all purposes, was procured

from England in 1827 and has been preserved ever since at the

Philadelphia Mint. The apparent change from the value given in

1827 was only 0.005 grain and indicates a remarkable constancy in 83

years. Another test of special interest was that of a set of platinum

weights below 1 gram, which had been calibrated at the PhysikalischTechnische Reinchsanstalt of Germany and brought to this country

in connection with the work on the fundamental electrical standards.

The corrections obtained here agreed with those of the Reichsanstalt

to within a few thousandths of a milligram. These differences are

of about the same magnitude as those observed in previous tests of

these weights made in Germany, and furnish another illustration of

the extremely close agreement that has been attained among the

standards of those countries which refer their weights to the international kilogram. The readjustment of standards that are not

sufficiently accurate is usually left to the manufacturers, and standards found unsatisfactory either in structure or in precision have

been returned to the manufacturer. During the past year, however,

an unusually large number of cases have occurred in which it seemed

advisable for the Bureau to do this work. The work has ranged from

a set of very high grade standards for a well-known manufacturer of

weights and balances to some of the rougher grades of "test weights"

used by a city sealer. Aside from this larger amount of adjusting,

the routine testing has been very nearly the same as during the

preceding year. Some urgently needed standards for work of moderate accuracy have been prepared, and an opportunity was thus

offered to test the efficiency of nickel plating for this class of weights.

These have been tested several times and have proved to be very

consistent. The fact that the surface of the nickel steel needs no

protection against oxidization is a great advantage.

HYDROMETRY.

Provision has been contemplated for increasing the equipment for

hydrometric work, and the necessary additional standards for extending its usefulness will soon be delivered. An investigation of the

density and thermal expansion of alcohol and of its mixtures with

water has been undertaken for the purpose of revising the inaccurate

tables now in use as a basis of alcoholometry by density measurement.

This has had the attention of one investigator for nearly a year, but
8 REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS.

considering their value to the arts, and the fact that about

$200,000,000 of revenue is collected on the basis of such tables, the

preparation of the new tables is of vital importance.

VOLUMETRIC MEASUREMENTS.

The demands in this work have increased about 50 per cent over

the preceding year, and while the quality and accuracy of the volumetric apparatus submitted have shown a progressive improvement

it is not as yet satisfactory. During the year a total of 20,512 pieces

were examined, of which 6,178 pieces, or 30 per cent, were rejected

by inspection on account of defects in construction, while 1,614

pieces, or 11 per cent, of those actually tested for capacity were found

inaccurate. Ninety per cent of this work was done for the United

States Government, nearly all of such apparatus purchased by the

departments bemg submitted to this Bureau for approval.

About 56 capacity measures of metal or paper have been tested

during the year, of which 14 were standards for the States of Massachusetts and Kansas, while the others included a cubic-foot bottle

and a number of liquid and dry standards for manufacturers and city

governments. The interest in the subject of weights and measures

has resulted in an unusual number of demands on the Bureau for tests

of rough standards used m ordinary conxniercial transactions. In some

cases the fees which the Bureau is obliged to charge, combined with

the express charges, amount to more than the original cost of the

standards, emphasizing the need of local inspection in all parts of the

country.

TIME MEASUREMENTS.

The watch tests in progress at the beginning of the year were finished, and the watches returned to the manufacturers with the results.

The data obtained from these tests will be used in preparing a circular

on the subject of watch testing. Accurate time was furnished to

other divisions of the Bureau by the Riefler clock, which was frequently compared with the standard of the Naval Observatory. The

most important time service was furnished in connection with the

investigation of the silver coulometer, by the International Electrical

Commission, and in connection with the calorimetric work of the

Heat Division. Owing to the fact that the Navy Department made

some changes in the character of the signals sent out by the nav}-

yard wireless sending station, it has been necessary to make the

clock comparisons by telephone, a method which is unreliable on

account of the introduction in the observations of the personal

equation of the observer. A comparative test of about six of the

most prominent clock systems suitable for installation in public

buildings is being undertaken for the Supervising Architect of
EEPOET OF DIEECTOE OF BUEEAU OF STANDAEDS. 9

the Treasury Department. A program has been arranged for the

test, and the systems are now being installed at the Bureaii.

ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.

The Fifth Annual Conference on Weights and Measures, held at

this Bureau in February, was better attended than unj previously

held, having 21 delegates representing the several States. Gratifying

progress in protecting the public from the use of fraudulent weights

and measures was reported by the delegates from all sections of the

country, the steps taken to accomplish this result being the enactment of State legislation, the passing of new ordinances by cities,

and the appointment of the proper officials under these laws and

ordinances. The necessity of national legislation similar to the purefood legislation, to unify methods of inspection throughout the

country, was urged by the delegates, as well as legislation to correct

abuses in interstate transactions. A resolution was adopted favoring

legislation by Congress to require that all contamers be plainly

marked so as to indicate their net contents. It was also the opinion

of the conference, expressed in a I'esolution, that authority to pass

on types of weighing and measuring devices used in trade should be

conferred on the Bureau of^ Standards by Congress.

. DIVISION III.—THERMOMETRY, PYROMETRY, AND HEAT

MEASUREMENTS.

The work in thermometry, pyrometry, and heat measurements

during the year included 13,082 chnical thermometers, 1,508 laboratory and special thermometers, including a large number of calorimetric and Beckmann thermometers requiring the liighest attainable

accuracy, 7 optical and radiation pyrometers, 13 platinum resistance

thermometers, 16 thermoelectric pyrometers, 2 pneumatic pyrometers, 58 standard heat samples, 17 lubricating oils, and 24 miscellaneous heat tests, such as the melting points of refractories, and

similar tests. The results of the following investigations were pubhshed in the

Bulletin of the Bureau during the year: (a) The specific heats of calcium cldoride brines in the interval —35° to +20° C, containing data

of importance in refrigeration engineering; (6) the application of

optical and radiation pyrometers to the measurement of the temperature of molten metals, a problem of importance in foundry work; (c)

the use of platinum resistance thermometers at high temperatures and

their apphcation to the determination of the melting and freezingpoints of a number of pure metals obtained from different sources,

with a view to estabhshing a series of fixed points or cahbration temperatures and determining the accuracy with wliich such points can

76245°—11 2
10 REPOBT OF DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS.

be reproduced when metals, furnished as chemically pure by different

makers, are used ; (d) the determination of the boiling points of naphthalene and benzopliene, with a view to throwing some light on e:Jisting uncertainties in the temperature scale, and for use as convenient

fixed points in thermometry; (e) a consideration of the properties of

an ideal gas ; if) a discussion of the theory of the Hampson liquefier, as a prehminary step in the construction of a more eihcient apparatus

for the liquefaction of gases.

A considerable number of standard heat samples (pure cane sugar)

were furnished during the year to chemists and engineers for use in the

standardization of combustion calorimeters. Very considerable progress has been made on the preparation and the determination of the

heats of combustion of other substances, so that the Bureau will soon

be in a position to issue a number of different standard heat samples,

thus enabling the engineer to obtain a number of independent checks

on the accuracy of his work. This work has materially assisted in

introducing uniformity in the results of tests made by industrial chemists and engineers, and on which large fuel contracts are based.

A complete set of calorimeters representing the leading types of

instruments used in the gas industries in this country and abroad

have been installed during tlie year, and the completion of the investigations now in progress will enable the Bureau to furnish valuable

information as to the necessary precautions that must be observed

and the order of accuracy that is attainable in the use of these calorimeters when applied to different gases.

The assembling, design, and construction of nearly all the apparatus

required for the determination of the heats of combustion of the more

important constituents of illuminating and fuel gases has been completed. The completion of this investigation will enable the Bureau

to issue a table of the more important constants of gases for the use of

.gas engineers.

Much of the apparatus required for the Joule-Kelvin porous plug

'experiment has been constructed in the instrument shops of the

Bureau during the year, so that the more important parts of the

equipment required for this work have now been assembled.

Considerable work has been done during the year with the electrically heated carbon-tube vacuum furnace, including the determination of the melting points of refractory materials. A special furnace

has been designed for the determination of the properties of materials,

such as thermal and electrical conductivity and melting points, at the

highest attainable temperatures.

DIVISION IV.—OPTICS.

During the year a number of investigations have been completed

in this division. In addition, there was 1,360 tests made largely

for the departments of the Government. A new method for meas-
REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS. 11

uring the relative wave lengtlis of light "ttdth high precision and

facility was devised at the Bureau, apparatus constructed, and a preKminary investigation completed.

SPECTROSCOPY.

The testing done by this section has more than doubled during the

year, and there has been an increase of tests of optical glass, photographic lenses, standardizing plates for refractometers, and the

number of spectroscopic tests. The importance of having available

light sources of definite intensity at all wave lengths has led the

Bureau to investigate such sources. Many vacuum tubes of hydrogen,

argon, and helium have been prepared at the Bureau, and their radiation has been studied in terms of the energy consumed and the density of the gas, and results of such investigations are of \vide interest

and usefulness in numerous technical fields. During the year a careful investigation of the resiilts of the luminosity to temperature was

completed and the results published.

This section has continued its cooperation mth chemists in making

difficult analyses and has advised many intending purchasers of

optical instruments. Several weeks' time was occupied in assisting

in an investigation of the effect of,.the light of mercury vapor lamps

on eyes and vision.

RADIOMETRT.

During the first part of this year considerable time was spent in

constructing a new vacuum bolometer and in remodeling the spectrometric apparatus. Several series of spectral radiation curves were

obtained, from which some of the radiation constants have been

computed. From a series of 14 spectral energy curves obtained with

the new vacuum bolometer a tentative value of T = 2944 has been

obtained. This gives a value of 02 = 14600. This is the most important problem in radiation at the present time. With each new

improvement in the apparatus, the work becomes more reliable, and

with the present apparatus it is hoped that quite high precision may

be obtained. This mvolves either the reduction of humidity in the

laborator}", v/liich at present renders work impossible, or putting the

complete optical system in vacuo at present.

The research on the reflecting power of metals has been completed.

This had for its object the exact determination of the spectral reflecting power of various metals, including tungsten, tantalum, and molybdenum, which are of commercial importance in incandescent lamps.

The resiilts obtained ofl^er a complete and convincing proof that the

high luminous efficiency of these incandescent lamps is due to their

selective emission in the visible spectrum, caused by a low reflecting
12 REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS.

power in this region of the spectrum, and by a high reflecting power

in the infra-red.

A new radiometer and a new quartz spectrometer have been completed and found to be the most sensitive of the kind yet described.

The short focus (3f) quartz spectrometer gives six times the intensity

of the other spectroradiometric apparatus now in use. The distribution of energy in the visible spectrum is being determined to ascertain the spectral energy curves of several standard

sources of light operated under specified conditions. Weaker sources

of radiation—e. g., fluorescent spectra—can then be compared spectrophotometricaUy or spectrophotograpliically against one of these

standard sources, and their energy curves thus determined indirectl}".

This investigation is almost completed, and will fill a need both in

this laboratory and in other scientific work.

POLARIMETRY.

Besides investigations in progress, 1,339 polarimetric tests were

completed during the year. The polariscopic testing of import_ed

sugars has been continued. As a result of the work of the Bureau in

this direction, the differences in the results at the five principal sugar

ports have been reduced to as low as 0.2 per cent, a concordance which

is quite satisfactory.

The demand has continued for the standard samples of sugars of

high purity. These are issued as standardized fuel samples for test- ing calorimeters and also as samples for determining the 100 per cent

point of the saccharimeter scale. By means of these samples both

classes of instruments may be tested by the user. The basis for standardizing saccharimeters is now under investigation and satisfactory progress has been made. As the transactions

of the sugar industry rest upon the readings of the saccharimeter,

the basis of standardization is of prime importance. During the past

year special apparatus has been devised for this work and highly

pure sugars have been prepared from raw sugars from widely different sources and compared with the pure sugars of other investigators

in this country and abroad.

DIVISION v.—CHEMISTRY.

The work of the Chemical Division has continued along much the

same lines as during last year, though the increase in the force has

permitted the development of several new lines of work. There has

been considerable routine testing of materials supplied under the

contracts of the general supply committee. Kelated to this work

has been the testing of a large number of important reagents ordered

in duplicate from two prominent dealers in chemicals. Other reagents
EEPOBT or DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS. 13

furnished by a third dealer have not conformed in all respects with

the published analyses. The systematic reporting of such discrepancies to the manufacturers will result in greater care in the manufacture and increased accuracy in the analysis of reagents.

A large amount of platinum ware purchased by the division was

found of unsatisfactory purity. The defects were in part remedied,

but the experience will be used to induce American manufacturers of

platinum to give a reliable guaranty of the actual character of the

material furnished instead of the misleading and indefinite statement

that it is "of the best quality."

In this connection it may be stated that the division is always

interested and cooperates whenever possible in all movements looking to higher standards of excellence of all mateiials whose value

depends largely upon their chemical nature and purity. For example, the division is in close cooperation with the American Chemical

Society, being represented on its special committees, such as the committee on specifications for rubber goods, the committee on the

nomenclature of inorganic compounds, and the committee on the

analysis of fats and oils ; and the committee having general oversight

of the various special committees of that society.

This division has aided in the work on the silver coulometer and on

the Weston and Clark standard cells; has prepared alcohol of a high

degree of purity for an important investigation undertaken by the

Division of Weights and Measures; and has prepared a large number

of substances which are being investigated as standards for calorimetry, in which connection a large generator for the electrolytic

production of oxygen was devised and completed. It has also assisted

in the photometric work by preparing pure substances for use in the

standard lamps and studying the effect of impurities in these substances and also in illuminating gas.

The demand for the analyzed and certified standard samples of

iron and steel is still increasing, the number distributed having been

1 717 against 687 for the year before. Two new Bessemer steel standards have been issued and renewals of two of the basic open-hearth

samples are being prepared. A vanadium steel is about to be issued

and a chrome-vanadium and a nickel steel await the completion of a

special mixing machine which has been designed and is being built at

the Bureau. There has been such a demand for the original standard irons that renewals of three of them have been prepared in large

quantity. By a special device the fine graphite powder is removed

so that the samples are more uniform and reliable, and have been

commented on favorably by many to whom they haA^e been sent.

The Washington Navy Yard undertook the preparation of the

ingots for the iron samples, which is a very special operation to prevent segregation. A manganese oj'e and three iron ores have been
14 BEPORT OF DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS,

added to the list of standard samples. A red cast-brass standard

has been prepared, but not yet in sufficient amount to meet the probable demand, and a method of preparing sheet-brass samples has been

worked out and material will soon be available for distribution.

In connection with the preparation of the standard samples of

steel, methods for the more exact determination of vanadium and

nickel have been worked out and will be published in the Bulletin.

A study has also been made of the variations in the moisture content

of the finely powdered ores adopted as standards. These variations,

due to changes in the atmospheric humidity, have been shown to be

large enough to cause serious discrepancies in exact analytical work,

unless great care is taken to properly dehydrate the material. The

varying moisture content of certain phosphate rocks was also studied

in this connection.

Numerous samples of argillaceous limestone and of zinc ore have

been distributed. During the coming year, the division will cooperate in the exact analysis of a standard sample of phosphate rock.

In response to numerous suggestions and requests from various

quarters that the Bureau furnish standards for volumetric analysis,

the division is endeavoring to obtain sodium oxalate of satisfactory

quality for such use. During the year there were completed about 1,757 tests and analyses, which may be classified as follows: (1) Printing inks, paper,

mucilage, pastes, and sealing wax, 1,511, of which 1,437 were paper

samples; (2) metals, especially type metal and similar alloys, 30;

(3) reagents, 116; (4) paints, oils, and greases, 35; (5) rubber hose,

valves, etc., 26; (6) miscellaneous, as submarine cable, book cloths,

bricks, fertilizers, etc., 39. Among these tests are included the

cooperative analysis of linseed oils and fertilizers and a critical study

of a proposed method for the analysis of zinc ore concentrates. A

tentative metlfod for the determination of the suitability of gasengine cylinder oils was devised and further work is still in progress.

The preparation of materials for the determination of the atomic

weight of bromine is well advanced and it is hoped that the research

will be completed within a year. A new method for the determination of gum arable in mucilages is well in hand and progress is being

made in the study of the hydrolysis of different paper pulps. New

methods for the detection of pitting in galvanized iron and tin plate

and in tinned copper wires have been worked out. Different methods

for the determination of rubber have been tested, and a new method

for the determination of total and free sulphur was devised.

ENGINEERING INSTRUMENTS AND MATERIALS.

The apparatus and equipment for the testing and investigation of

engineering instruments and structural engineering, and miscellaneous materials, has been installed in the new laboratories. During
BEPOKT OF DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS. 15

the year 4,460 tests were made by this division, including engineering

instruments and materials, papers, textiles, and miscellaneous materials.

The 100,000-pound universal testing machine, after installation in

its new quarters, was carefully readjusted, calibrated, and found

accurate and reliable. A 1,000,000-pound Riehle crushing machine

for making tests upon stone, brick, terra cotta, cement, concrete, and

for the determination of moduli of elasticity of building materials

and structural forms has been installed and is now in operation.

The large 2,300,000-pound Emery machine for the testing of fullsized structural members and shapes is rapidly approaching completion. The reenforced concrete foundation is in place and the main

foundation is completed.

The number of tests of engineering instruments has quadrupled.

These included pitometers, water-currerft meters, anemometers,

manometers, pressure gauges, and paper testers. The total number

of pieces of apparatus tested is 206 as against 52 for the previous year.

The cahbration of water-current meters has been undertaken at the

rating station on Chevy Chase Lake established by the Geological

Survey and transferred by that office to this Bureau at the beginning

of the year. Many of the instruments belonging to the water re- sources branches of the Federal and State Governments and to hydrauhc engineers have also been rated. The station has been altered

and considerably improved by the addition of new equipment, including a new car and recording device. An investigation to establish a new composite curve for Price meters is now in progress.

During the year the laboratory made, at the request of the engineer

of bridges of the District of Columbia, the determination of the

strains in members at the top of the main towers of the bridge across Rock Creek on Calvert street, Washington, D. C, and the laboratory

has cooperated with the engineering department of the Pittsburg and

Lake Erie Railroad in making measiirements to determine the distribution of the stresses in the members of the large cantilever bridge

being constructed across the Ohio River at Beaver, Pa. This work

has been undertaken for the piu-pose of investigating and developing

a new method of determining the stresses and strains in large structural members and for verifying the formulas and constants used by

engineers in computing the elements of design.

It has also conducted at the shops of one of the larger boiler works

some careful measurements to determine the distribution of stresses

in lap-welded boilers and to study the physical properties of some

boiler material.

In addition to the regular equipment for the testmg of cement,

special permeability apparatus for the study of methods of waterproofing has been installed, and refrigeration closets for freezing tests
16 REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS.

and special furnaces for fire tests of ceramic materials are being constructed. Apparatus for torsion, cold bending, alternating impact,

alternating stress, and hardness tests have been installed, and investigations are in progress.

The laboratory tests upon structural material have been both

investigative and commercial. They have included tests upon steel,

lead, aluminum, various alloys, cement, concrete, concrete reenforcement, brick, including sandlime, enamel, building, paving, and fire

brick, terra-cotta chimney blocks, stone, etc. Much of this work

has been done for the Government departments, among which are the Department of Justice, Superintendent of Capitol Building and

Groimds, District of Columbia, Signal Corps, engineer of bridges of

the District of Columbia, Panama Canal Commission, Reclamation

Service, Ordnance Department, and Navy. The tests made for private parties were of an investigative nature, consisting of determination of the physical properties and suitability of new products.

The number of tests of miscellaneous materials, including paper,

textiles, cordage, belting, belt lacing, rubber hose for air, steam, and

water; gaskets, packing, lubricants, etc., has increased 20 per cent,

and every Government department is included among those for which

tests have been made. New equipment has been added to the paper

and textile laboratories for investigations requisite to the preparation of standard specifications for Government materials and the

development of uniformity in the standards used in the industries.

LIBRARY.

The library contains more than 5,000 accessioned volumes and some

thousand pamphlets, for the most part on physics, chemistry, engineering, and related subjects. During the year 843 volumes were

accessioned and 234 scientific and technical periodicals were cur- rently received—79 American and 155 foreign. Other libraries in

Washington have freely loaned books to the Bureau; 360 have been

borrowed from the Library of Congress and 65 from other libraries.

PUBLICATIONS. '

Three Bulletins were issued during the year, comprising 21 technical papers, relating to standards and precision measurements, giving the results of researches and investigations conducted by the

Bureau of Standards.

Four new Bureau circulars were pubUshed giving information as to methods of testing specifications for standards and measuring

instruments and regulations in regard to their verification: Circular

19, "Standard density and volumetric tables;" Circular 20, "Testing

of electrical measuring instruments;" Circular 21, "Precision meas-
BEPOET OF DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS. 17

urements of resistance of electromotive force;" Circular 22, "Standard specifications for transformers, oil-immersed, self-cooled, 60-cycle,

2,200 volts;" Circular 13, revised.

PERSONNEL.

The personnel of the Bureau, including the Director, as provided

by Congress, for the past fiscal year, consisted of 135 persons, classified as follows:

Scientific force: One physicist, 1 chemist, 8 associate physicists, 2

associate chemists, 24 assistant physicists, 5 assistant chemists, 24

laboratory assistants, 6 aids, 7 laboratory apprentices, and 2 laboratory

helpers; total, 80.

Office and clerical force: One secretary, 1 librarian, 10 clerks, 1 storekeeper, 1 draftsman, 2 assistant messengers, 4 messenger boys;

total, 20.

Engineer and mechanical force: One engineer, 4 assistant engineers,

2 electricians, 8 mechanicians, 1 glassblower, 1 woodworker, 3 skilled

laborers, 3 firemen, 1 elevator boy, 4 laborers, 2 watchmen, 2 janitors,

2 charwomen; total, 34.

SUMMARY OF TESTS.

The work of the Bureau involves, among other things, a large

amount of testing of standards, measuring instruments, and materials.

A certain amount of tliis work is already organized upon an accurate

routine basis. Much of it, however, involves investigation of the

scientific principles underlying the test, a study of existing methods,

and the development of new standard tests of known accuracy. In

such cases the research which must precede the actual testing is a most important function of the Bureau. For the test a reasonable

fee is charged, except when made for the National or State Governments. The corresponding amounts for Government testing are of

interest, however, and are added to the statement of tests wMch

follows:

Number and Value op Tests Completed, Fiscal Year ended June 30, 1910.

Nature of test.

For Government. For public. Total.

Number. Value. Number. Value. Number. Value.

490 SI, 304. 05 131 S229. 85 621 SI, 533. 90

1,364 671.55 720 402.70 2,084 1,074. 25 Capacity 15,036 4, 490. 25 236 141.50 15,272 4,631.75

2,875 1,639. 79 11,228 2,073.02 14, 103 4,312. 81 Optical 1,298 1,412.00 62 121.50 1,300 1,533.50

4,8,54 9, 753. 35 103 234. 75 4,957 9,988. 10 Electrical 133 441.40 366 1,540.35 499 1,981.75

4,913 11,133.90 353 666. 60 5,206 11,800.50 Chemical 2,606 8,031.00 605 1,186. 76 3,331 9, 218. .36 927 979. 95 68 108. 50 995 1,088. 45

Total 34,556 39,857.84 13,932 7,305.53 48, 4S8 47,163.37
18 REPORT OF DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS.

Besides the foregoing the Bureau inspected 935,480 incandescent

lamps at various factories for other departments of the Government,

the fees for which would amount to $5,058.01 additional, making the

total value of work done for the Government $44,915.85.

The number of tests made for the Government in the fiscal year

1910, exclusive of lamps inspected at factory, was 35 per cent greater

than in the preceding year, and the number of tests for the public

was 12 per cent greater, the increase in tests for both Government

and public amounting to 27 per cent.

The receipts for tests were as follows:

Total receipts, 1910 $6, 951. 89

Received prior to July 1, 1909, for tests completed in fiscal year 1910. $577. 21 Outstanding fees 136. 00

Refunds 8. 60

721. 81

7, 673. 70

Received for tests completed, fiscal year 1908-9 124. 40

Received for tests in progress at close of fiscal year 1909-10 243. 77 368.17

Fees for tests completed, 1909-10 7, 305. 53

FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

The following statement shows the amount and object of each

appropriation provided for the Bureau for the fiscal year 1910, the

disbursement during the year, the amount of unfilled and unpaid

orders at the close of the year, and the unexpended balance remaining

at the close of business June 30, 1910:

Appropriation. Total appropriation. Disburse- ment. Liability. Balance.

Salaries .$165, 280. 00

46, ooa 00

17, 50a 00

3, ooa 00 175,000 00

180, 000. 00

10, ooa 00

10, ooa 00

4, ooa 00

.$160,455. 01

34, 816. 83

14, 732. 29

2,654. 57 172,8ia01

70,42a 85

8, 612. 83

6,993. 76

4, ooa 00

$4,824.99

627. 97

168. 44 10 38

2, 189. 99 109,092.31 57.00 2,194.98

Equipment $10, 555. 20

2, 599. 27

335. 05 General expenses Grounds

Laboratory

Testing machine

Gaslight standards Weights and measures

Freight truck

486. 84 1,330 17 811.26

Total 610, 78a 00 475, 496. 15 16, 117. 79 119, 16a 06
REPORT or DIRECTOR OF BUREAU OF STANDARDS. 19

The following statement shows the condition of the appropriations

for the preceding two fiscal years at the close of business June 30,

1910:

Appropriation.

1908 1909

Total, appropriation.

Disburse- ment. Liability. Balance.

Total

appropriation.

Disburse- ment. Liability. Balance.

Salaries S130. 020. 00

41.000.00

15,000. 00 3.000.00

3123,874. 24

40,525. 50

14,929. 98

2, 983. 56

S6, 745. 76

474. 50 70.02

16. 44

$141,540.00 41,000.00

15,000.00

3,000.00

$138,765. 11

40, 931. 89

14,112.83

2, 997. 22

$2, 774. 89

68. 11

862. 97

2.78

Equipment

General expenses

.

Grounds

$24.20

Total 189,620.00 182, 313. 28 7, 306. 72 200, 540. 00 196.807.05 24 20 3, 70& 75

Respectfully,

S. W. Stratton, Director.

To Hon. Charles Nagel,

Secretary of Commerce and Labor.

O